Exposure apparatus, substrate processing unit and lithographic system, and device manufacturing method

Abstract

The exposure apparatus and the substrate processing unit is connected via an in-line I/F portion. In addition, information on the substrate carriage is communicated in between the control unit of the exposure apparatus side and the control unit of the substrate processing unit, and both units decide their next operation that contribute to improving the processing capacity related to the wafer carriage, before actually starting the operation. Therefore, the throughput of the series of wafer processing performed by the substrate processing unit and the exposure apparatus can be improved, and as a consequence, becomes possible to improve the productivity of the device. In this case, for example, information on the predicted time or the expected time when the substrate can be received or sent out is reciprocally communicated between both units.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An exposure apparatus which is in-line connected with a substrate processing unit, said exposure apparatus comprising: 
 a substrate carriage system which carries a substrate and delivers a substrate between said substrate processing unit via a delivery portion; and    a control unit which structures a control system to control said substrate carriage system, said control unit performing at least one of transmitting and receiving specific information between said substrate processing unit in advance to decide an operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage.    
     
     
         2 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein said control unit transmits information to said substrate processing unit so that said substrate processing unit can decide its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage, said information transmitted prior to starting said following operation as said specific information.  
     
     
         3 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said substrate carriage system is capable of receiving a substrate.  
     
     
         4 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said substrate processing unit side withhold carriage of a substrate to said delivery portion.  
     
     
         5 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said substrate carriage system is capable of sending out a substrate.  
     
     
         6 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said substrate processing unit side withhold operations to receive a substrate at said delivery portion.  
     
     
         7 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 2   , wherein said control unit further receives information related to substrate carriage from said substrate processing unit as said specific information, and based on said information, determines in advance its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage.  
     
     
         8 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 1   , wherein said control unit receives information related to substrate carriage from said substrate processing unit as said specific information, and based on said information, determines in advance its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage.  
     
     
         9 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said substrate processing unit side is capable of sending out a substrate.  
     
     
         10 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said substrate carriage system withhold operations to receive a substrate at said delivery portion.  
     
     
         11 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said substrate processing unit side is capable of receiving a substrate.  
     
     
         12 . The exposure apparatus according to    claim 8   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said substrate carriage system withhold operations to send out a substrate to said delivery portion.  
     
     
         13 . A substrate processing unit which is in-line connected with an exposure apparatus, said substrate processing unit comprising: 
 a substrate carriage system which carries a substrate and delivers a substrate between said exposure apparatus via a delivery portion; and    a control unit which structures a control system to control said substrate carriage system, said control unit performing at least one of transmitting and receiving specific information between said exposure apparatus in advance to decide an operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage.    
     
     
         14 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 13   , wherein said control unit transmits information to said exposure apparatus so that said exposure apparatus can decide its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage, said information transmitted prior to starting said following operation as said specific information.  
     
     
         15 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 14   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said substrate carriage system is capable of receiving said substrate.  
     
     
         16 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 14   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said exposure apparatus side withhold carriage of a substrate to said delivery portion.  
     
     
         17 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 14   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said substrate carriage system is capable of sending out a substrate.  
     
     
         18 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 14   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said exposure apparatus side withhold operations to receive a substrate at said delivery portion.  
     
     
         19 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 14   , wherein said control unit further receives information related to substrate carriage from said exposure apparatus as said specific information, and based on said information, determines in advance its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage.  
     
     
         20 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 13   , wherein said control unit receives information related to substrate carriage from said exposure apparatus as said specific information, and based on said information, determines in advance its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage.  
     
     
         21 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 20   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said exposure apparatus side is capable of sending out a substrate.  
     
     
         22 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 20   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said substrate carriage system withhold operations to receive a substrate at said delivery portion.  
     
     
         23 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 20   , wherein said information includes one of a predicted time and an expected time until said exposure apparatus side is capable of receiving a substrate.  
     
     
         24 . The substrate processing unit according to    claim 20   , wherein said information includes information so as to make said substrate carriage system withhold operations to send out a substrate to said delivery portion.  
     
     
         25 . A lithographic system, said system comprising: 
 an exposure apparatus; and    a substrate processing unit which is in-line connected to said exposure apparatus, said processing unit transmitting and receiving information related to carriage of a substrate between said exposure apparatus, wherein at least one of said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit decides its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage based on said information, prior to starting said following operation.    
     
     
         26 . The lithographic system according to    claim 25   , wherein 
 said information transmitted and received between said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit includes withholding information to make a unit other than itself withhold carriage operations of a substrate, and    when said withholding information is concurrently sent by both said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit, a unit to which preference is given in advance sends information to said unit other than itself to dismiss its withholding request, and said unit other than itself withdraws said withholding request in accordance with said dismissal request information.    
     
     
         27 . The lithographic system according to    claim 25   , said lithographic system further comprising a separate unit which acts as an intermediary when said information is transmitted and received between said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit.  
     
     
         28 . The lithographic system according to    claim 25   , said lithographic system further comprising: 
 a superior unit which has total control over said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit, wherein    said information transmitted and received between said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit includes withholding information to make a unit other than itself withhold carriage operations of a substrate, and    when said withholding information is concurrently sent by both said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit, said superior unit may totally judge from the viewpoint of improving the processing capacity to send information to one of a predetermined unit to dismiss its withholding request to make said predetermined unit withdraw said withholding request.    
     
     
         29 . A device manufacturing method to manufacture a device using a lithographic system which comprises an exposure apparatus and a substrate processing unit in-line connected to said exposure apparatus, said device manufacturing method comprising: 
 transmitting and receiving information related to carriage of a substrate between said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit; and    at least one of said exposure apparatus and said substrate processing unit decides its following operation that contributes to improvement in processing capacity related to substrate carriage based on said information, prior to starting said following operation.    
     
     
         30 . A device manufacturing method including a lithographic process, wherein said exposure apparatus according to    claim 1    is used in said lithographic process.